1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Reflect
Israel’s prophets foretold the day when God himself would live with his people in a land of peace and plenty. In that day, new wine would be flowing from the mountains and hills (see Amos 9:13-15; Jeremiah 31:1; Isaiah 25:6-8). Jesus’ act of turning water into wine in Cana, Galilee, was a sign of his being God in the flesh. No one but God could do it. With each jar filled to the brim, such abundance gives us a glimpse of God’s ultimate plan for peace and plenty.
Verse 11 tells us that Jesus’ first followers saw God’s handiwork in this remarkable event. And so they began to trust in Jesus as God’s messiah. Coming to know him better, they eventually understood that the messianic age in all its fullness and glory had not yet completely arrived. The same is true today. We still live in the tension of what is and what will be, the nowand the not yet. The wine at the wedding was not where God would start and stop; rather, God had a bigger plan to be worked out that would involve Jesus’ death and resurrection. We now live on the other side of this. With Jesus’ resurrection, we have now seen the dawn. But the fullness of the final day is still to come. Let’s pray that by the grace of God we will be ready for it.
Prayer
Lord Christ, eternal Word and Light of the Father’s glory: send your light and your truth so that we may both know and proclaim your word of life, to the glory of God the Father; for you now live and reign, God for all eternity. Amen.(1978 AAPB, A Prayer for the Gospel)
John 1:19-23, 29-42 19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”…
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After mecomes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Reflect
The words of verse 41 identify two significant themes: ‘We have found…!’ and ‘He (Andrew) brought him (Peter) to Jesus…!’ Earlier we read John the Baptist’s testimony: “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (1:34).
The implication of John the Gospel writer’s words in verses 19-23 is that the Jewish leaders expected a messianic figure at some point. Because of this they were keen to find out more about John who was preaching repentance and baptizing in the Jordan River. To their inquiry John responded with words from Isaiah 40:3, telling them that someone greater was coming. He himself was not the One. Indeed, he specifically identified Jesus as God’s Son when Jesus came and asked to be baptized (1:29-34).
It is also interesting to note how John the Baptizer knew Jesus’ true identity: it was not necessarily because he heard a supernatural voice speaking to Jesus, but rather because the Spirit of God had told him what to watch for. The presence of the dove was the sign that God’s Spirit came upon Jesus and that Jesus is the Man from heaven.
The story takes us from John’s testimony to Jesus: ‘Look at him! Follow him!’ are John’s words. Jesus now takes center stage in the Gospel narrative. Calling his first followers to join him, they in turn told others, ‘Come and see’. They had found God’s long-promised king who would pour out his Spirit, enabling God’s people to remain with God forever. The God who exists eternally outside the material world was coming in human form into our world. For his part, John the gospel writer, now invites us to ‘Come and see’ for ourselves just who Jesus is. The implication is that we in turn will want to invite others to do the same.
Prayer
Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and was sent to prepare the way for your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: so grant that we may truly repent according to his teaching, and following his example may constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (1662 BCP, A Prayer for St. John the Baptist’s Day, June 24)
Keith Ward in his Why There Almost Certainly Is a God (Lion: 2008) critiques the views of Richard Dawkins and others on the question of the existence of God.
A highly respected philosopher and theologian, Professor Ward raises questions about the dubious nature of materialism. ‘Most of us (philosophers) do not want to deny that material things exist,’ he writes, ‘but we are no longer sure of what matter is. Is it quarks, or superstrings, or dark energy, or the result of quantum fluctuations in a vacuum?’ (p.14) ‘What is the point of being a materialist when we are not sure exactly what matter is?’ he asks. ‘It no longer seems to be a set of simple elementary particles… What this means is that materialism no longer has the advantage of giving us a simple explanation of reality’ (p.15).
He also raises questions about the problem of consciousness, namely, ‘how conscious states – thoughts, feelings, sensations and perceptions – can arise from complex physical brain-states …’ (p.16). He further asks, ‘Do we know that no consciousness could exist without being tied to … a physical process? … There might be a consciousness that came into existence in some other way’ (apart from a physical process) (p.17).
Following a carefully developed analysis of a scientific and materialistic explanation for our existence, he observes, ‘But perhaps materialism is the greater delusion. Consciousness is the most evident sort of existence there is, and it is not necessarily bound to matter. It will then be very natural for finite consciousness to have an affinity with the spiritual consciousness of God, and sharing in the divine awareness is their most natural form of existence.’
‘Immortality is not a fiction invented to compensate for an unhappy life,’ he comments. ‘It is the perception that our conscious lives are not bounded by space and time, and that they find fulfillment in union with a supreme spiritual reality that seems, even during this life, to take us beyond the limits of time’ (p.96).
It is this spiritual reality that the Lenten readings from John’s Gospel open up for us.
Read
John 1:1-5, 9-14, 18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Reflect
With his opening verses, the gospel writer John introduces us to ‘the Word’. He tells us who the Word is and from where he comes; we learn that he is truly God (1:1), eternal (1:2), the creator of all things and the source of our existence (1:3); he opens our eyes as well as opening the way to the spiritual dimension of life (1:4). He was God, and yet with God – by himself the Word is not the full complement of the Godhead. With such a philosophical preamble, verse 14 is alarmingly and shockingly tangible!
The Word of God, whose very nature and existence is eternally divine, has taken on human form. John is telling us that he and his fellow apostles saw what Moses only glimpsed, namely, the glory of God personified. For the first time in history, God had revealed himself in person (1:18). The grace and truth of God had become incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ.
But there is an ironic tragedy: left to ourselves we reject the Word and his light. We prefer to live in the darkness of our own egos. We need God’s work of grace within us to open our eyes to the truth (1:5-13).
In his opening section (1:1-14), John introduces us to a counterintuitive idea: there is more than one Person who makes up the One God of the Bible. Throughout eternity God exists in relationship and, in that relationship delights in giving life and light. Christianity we begin to see is not a religion of works but of relationship – one that is grounded in the surprising grace of God.
Prayer
Blessed Lord, you have caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning: grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that, encouraged and supported by your holy Word, we may embrace and always hold fast the joyful hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (1662 Book of Common Prayer, Advent 2)
Twelve months ago I drew attention to Robert Letham’s observations in his book, The Holy Trinity (P&R Publishing: 2004), concerning the impact of postmodernism on society. He comments that since the 1970s the western world has developed ‘a generally pessimistic view of human progress… The modern world’s reliance on reason has been replaced by a preference for emotion… The cardinal fault in interpersonal relations now is to hurt someone’s feelings…’ (p.449).
‘In the vanguard of this new world order,’ he continues, ‘are not so much scientists as literary critics. Its root feature is the view that the world is without objective meaning or absolute truth…’ (p.453).
How should we respond? Letham suggests ‘perhaps the most appropriate response to the postmodern suspicion of claims of objective, absolute truth is in our focusing on the manipulation-free, self-giving love of God’ (p.456). Yet how often do we find this ‘manipulation-free, self-giving love of God’ emulated in churches?
He asks, ‘How often do evangelists use music to get their audience into the right mood, to soften them up, so that they can influence them more easily and so change their behaviour? … Much “worship” today is not worship at all, for it is not directed to the Holy Trinity, but to the advancement of hidden agendas, the bolstering of human pride, or the entertainment of seekers’.
By contrast, Paul’s thanksgiving for the church in Colossae, speaks of a church that is God’s workmanship.
In Colossians 1:3-8 we read: In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospelthat has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit (Colossians 1:1-8).
Salvation – the work of the One in Three God. The Colossians did not just have a ‘faith in God’ but rather their faith was in Christ Jesus who, Paul tells us, enjoys a unique relationship with God the Father. Paul explains this relationship more fully in Colossians 1:15 where he speaks of Jesus being the image of the invisible God, the firstborn before all creation. Jesus perfectly reveals the nature and being of God.
Furthermore, there is reference to another Person in the Godhead whom we so easily overlook. In verses 7 and 8 we read: This (gospel) you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
God’s Spirit was also intimately involved in the work of salvation – the Colossians faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and also their love for all the saints (verse 4).
Love. The Colossians’ relationship with the Lord Jesus expressed itself in their relationship with one another. They were a new community, the people of God. The love of which Paul speaks is one that binds people of different national and cultural backgrounds into a unique community. It was an example of the way Jesus’ command was being fulfilled when he said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13: 34-35).
Truth. In our postmodern age, it’s worth noticing Paul’s emphasis on the truth.The gospel, he says, is the word of the truth. He could have omitted any reference to the truth, but he didn’t. And, because it is the word of the truth Christianity was expanding all over the world, he says.
Robert Letham comments: ‘It is vital that we present people with the context in which an intelligent response to the gospel can be made. The message of God’s grace must be grounded in creation, the reality of truth, and in the union and communion of the Trinity’ (p.456).
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Starting Wednesday, March 6. Lenten Reflections – 40 Days with the Gospel of John
Lent forms an important part of the Christian church’s traditional calendar. Each day of Lent, I am offering a selected text from the Gospel of John, paired with a reflection. Alongside the readings and reflections, there will a prayer, one of the collects (in Anglican terms, a short prayer that collects the ideas of the day). Together with a suggested daily reading plan from the Gospel of John that will take you through the whole book by Easter.
Email me if you are interested, or sign up next week on the Anglican Connection website: www.anglicanconnection.com
Fifteen months ago I drew attention to an article, ‘Faith’s Implacable Enemies’ in The Weekend Australian (November 4-5, 2017). Dyson Heydon, a former justice of the High Court of Australia, wrote of the significant shift by society’s elites today away from the humble dependence on the blessing of Almighty God expressed in the ‘Imperial Act’ that brought ‘the Australian Constitution into being’.
Heydon commented that ‘the public voices of the modern elites are not humble. They conceive themselves to have entitlements and rights, not blessings. And they do not feel any gratitude to Almighty God for their entitlements and rights. Instead, they desire to exclude any role for religion in Australian public discussion, and perhaps any role for religion in any sphere, public or private. They instantly demand an apology for any statement they dislike.’
Furthermore, Heydon observed, ‘Indifference (towards religion) based on rising wealth can be insidiously damaging to religion… Religion inquires into the nature of humanity and the destiny of humanity… To those satisfied with the pleasures of this world, now so freely available, inquiry and search of these kinds is of no interest… But members of modern elites are moving away from mere indifference. They are embracing a fanatical anti-clericalism. Some want to destroy faith itself…’
‘Modern elites do not desire tolerance,’ Heydon noted. ‘They demand unconditional surrender’.
How will we respond? Let me suggest two words to keep in mind: Gratitude and Truth.
In his opening section in his Letter to the Colossians, Paul the Apostle does two things. First, he thanks God for the Colossians faith in Christ andfor their love for one another. Significantly he speaks of their faith and love arising from the hope they have in the gospel. Secondly, Paul speaks of the gospel, as ‘the word of the truth’.
Gratitude. In most of his Letters, Paul does something we today so often overlook: he expresses his heartfelt thanks to God for his evident work in the lives of men and women.
In Colossians 3:17 Paul writes: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
There is a timeless wisdom here, for nothing brings about discord and hostility more than an unhappy, unthankful spirit. To be thankful is to accept the challenges of life confident in God’s love and compassion. A thankful heart trusts God in every situation. It doesn’t mean that we do nothing. Rather, under God, for whose love we are grateful, we will look for constructive ways forward. People who have a great sense of gratitude to God are kind and generous themselves, looking for ways to serve the best interests of others around them.
Truth. In Colossians 1:5b – 6 Paul writes: Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing – as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,..
What is significant here is the emphasis that Paul puts on the word truth. The gospel, he says is, literally, the word of the truth. ‘You Colossians came to know the grace of God in all its truth.’ Paul could have left out any reference to the words the truth, but he doesn’t. He wants to stress that the essence of the Christian message is true.
When we think about it we can see that the gospel statement is beyond human invention and imagination. No one of us would have invented a God who was prepared to forgive a self-preoccupied and faithless world by such a costly and humiliating death as occurred at Calvary. A gospel like this can’t be invented or contradicted.
Furthermore, the gospel is also true in ‘an historical’ sense. Paul is telling us what Luke also states about his ‘account concerning Jesus Christ’ – that the ‘eyewitness accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus’ – are no invention (Luke 1:1-4). They are true and trustworthy. (If you are keen to follow this up, you may want to read the Prelude of my book, Luke: An Unexpected God, Aquila: 2019, pp.3-10, as well as, Paul Barnett, Is the New Testament Reliable? IVP: 2003.
Too often we forget to thank God for the generous grace and truth of his gospel, and so we are silenced.
Dyson Heydon commented that the elites today, ‘By preventing any public expression of religious thought through ridicule and bullying, … tend to cause religion to wither away even in the private sphere. What can have no public expression will eventually cease to have any private existence…’
What we often overlook is that the followers of Jesus overturned the ancient Roman world, not by armed revolution, but through bold and confident prayer to the God ‘whose nature is always to have mercy’, and by the example of their lives and the testimony of their lips.
Let’s pray that we express each day our gratitude to the Lord for his boundless love and mercy, assured that the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth and nothing but the truth.
